As a long-time fan of Formula One, I must admit that I've had wavering opinions about Bernie Ecclestone over the years.
It's true that he managed to grow the sport from something that was little more than a well off gentleman's club, into something that is a worldwide sport over the course of the last 30 years or so.
Needless to say he has made a lot of money out of this venture. He's gone from a car dealer playing with motorsport on the side into a multi-billionaire businessmen with fingers in a lot of pies most of which have benefited the growth of Formula One and his personal income.
However, my feelings of Bernie in the last year have really started to fall through the floor. Not only has he been accused of many forms of corruption by various bodies including tax evasion, bribery etc, but he also has been making some weird decisions about the future of Formula One. For instance, it was obvious that the BBC were having problems fulfilling their contract as regards paying for continued coverage of Formula One over the next few years, so Bernie enabled them to sell out their deal to sky television. This would be fine if in some way the coverage had somehow been maintained at some degree of quality for terrestial viewers, but it appears that we have got half of the races and "clips shows".
Therefore the implied contract that Formula One had with the British viewing public seems to have vanished, and has "half" disappeared off to a paid for channel rather than free to air terrestrial channels as has supported the sport for many years. I'm sure in time we will get used to this method of delivery of Formula One but it's just not fair from the point of view of comprehensive coverage. It's going to be very difficult for the average Formula One fan to view their beloved sport. You could argue that we should pay to view the sport we love, but as we are faced with cars and tracks plastered in sponsors advertising I kind of think we are paying our dues by viewing their adverts....
This is one of the ironies of moving over to a paid for channel - Bernie will no doubt get more money in his pocket; but the companies that pay millions and in some cases billions to put their names on the cars, will have a smaller viewing audience.
But now I hear that Bernie Ecclestone is saying that Europe is over as far as Formula One is concerned. He obviously has his eyes on the more lucrative markets of the Far East and the Middle East. It really is time that Bernie was removed from the top of the sport and stop this one man money-fest that he has currently made it, he does not think about the Formula One fan in any way or form and rather more seem to think only about his pocket.
Will I stop being a Formula One Fan, I very much doubt it but this man is definitely no longer any good for the sport that I love.